Take Me Home
by xFuryOfLovex
Summary: He's the mysterious badboy in town that everyone has been telling her to stay away from. And she'll try, she'll do everything in her power to keep away although it wont last for long. She'll find out that people can change and he'll realize that love can consume even the most unlikely. AH.
1. First Meetings

_**Chapter One**_

Anger coursed through my body. The wind picked up, and although the night was humid I wrapped my arms tighter around myself. The goose bumps spread over the skin exposed by the small white dress I was wearing while my strapped heels and clutch hung off the crook of my arm.

If I hadn't been in such a rush to leave at least I would have my jacket with me. It was pointless to even go there, let alone wear this outfit to impress someone who could care less what I looked like as long as I was willing to put out. I wasn't even suppose to end up at Duke Crandon's party, but Caroline had been so convincing that it was impossible to turn her down. She was going to be pissed once she realized that I ditch, especially since I planned on not answering any of her calls or texts for as long as I could manage. As if this night hadn't already sucked, the sound of thunder cracked above me. _Fantastic_.

The sky was clouded, blocking out the stars. I knew that a storm would be coming in a few minutes and it was a twenty minute walk to my house. Before I could even stop myself, tears were streaming down my face while breaths came out shorter and shorter. I stopped walking and cried out in defeat. There was nothing that I could think of that I'd ever done to deserve all of the shit that had happening to me in the past few years. Life was cruel and it was slowly taking its tolls on the walls I had built up.

I was so engrossed in my feelings that I didn't notice the car that had pulled up beside me. "Are you alright?" The smooth voice caused me to look up and take in the outline of the shiny black 1969 Camaro and the guy leaning toward the open passenger window. If I hadn't been able to tell by his custom car, midnight hair, and oceanic eyes, the velvet voice was a dead give away. _Damon Salvatore_.

"What are you doing?" I asked in confusion because honestly, I couldn't think of anything else to say. We'd both lived in this town since we were born, but had never spoken a word to each other. Of course, I knew who he was because who didn't? He was the infamous bad boy with a reputation for charming his way into girls beds from here to the other side of the country, never sticking around long enough to even learn names. Of all the people I could have run into tonight, I definitely didn't expected it to be him.

"Talking to you," he answered with a cocky tone, as if it was obvious.

"Why?"

He chuckled, eyebrows furrowing in amusement. "Sorry? I was just driving by and I saw you. It looked like you needed help."

"Since when do you help?" Okay, sure maybe I was being a bitch, but seriously it was kind of a know fact that Damon was not a generally nice guy. Charming, sure. But asshole was the term more often used.

He let his eyes roam over my form and I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "Why don't I give you a ride?"

I shook my head quickly. "I don't take rides from strange guys, especially at night."

"Is that what I am, strange? Come on Elena, just let me give you a ride home."

"You know my name?" I wondered, taking a small step closer to the car.

He smiled widely. "Of course, you've only baby sat my sister for two years." Well, sure he would know this, but in those two years I had never once run into him. The only person I ever saw in the house other than little Sophia was his father, and even those transactions never lasted for more than a minute. "I promise not to make you feel uncomfortable. It's going to rain and you have a long walk if your going home." He sighed when I stayed frozen in my place. "Just get in the car Elena."

And I did, because why would I pass up a seven or eight minute ride for a twenty minute walk in the rain? Even if it was from someone I hadn't spoken to once in my life. "You're taking me home, right?" I asked, still nervous about this situation.

"That's what I said," he answered, keeping his eyes forwards as he began driving forward. "Why?"

"Because guys lie," I answered bitterly, remembering the reason I was currently in this position. I was so stupid, fucking delusional even! The tears flowed again, and I tried my hardest to keep my sobs silent and under control. If there was one thing I was certain of, its that I didn't want to be crying my eyes out in front of the town's main heartbreaker.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I tearfully looked up to see Damon glancing at me uneasily. His knuckles tightened around the steering wheel, expressing his discomfort. "Like you really want to know," I sniffled, sarcasm dripping it my voice.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't," he replied slightly annoyed, with a roll of his eyes.

I stayed silent for a moment, before finally wiping away what I hoped were the last of my tears for now. "My boyfriend cheated on me," I said quietly, letting the words sink in. This was real and I wasn't just over reacting. "I told him that I didn't want to go to Duke's party tonight, but then my friend begged me to go so I thought I would surprise him. Somebody had mentioned that they saw him go upstairs, although they failed to mention who he had gone with. To shorten the story, I walked in on him on top of some girl with his tongue shoved down her throat. I threw my ring at him and ran like hell."

"I'm sorry," he said after a minute of silence. "I may not be the example of the perfect boyfriend but no girl deserves that."

"How can you say that?" I questioned with anger. "All you do is break girls hearts. I know your trying to make me feel better but please, just don't. I don't think what you doing is any better."

His jaw clenched tight and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. " Just so you know I don't have to give you or anyone else answers, but your right. I'm not going to sit here and explain to you why I act the way I do because its nobody's business, but I can assure you that the rumors exceed the truth. I'm not a relationship kind of guy, I don't do feelings well, but I'm always honest to the girls I'm with. I'm realistic with them and they don't expect anything in return because it was the agreement not to. However, the way that I choose to act has nothing to do with the fact that if you are in a relationship with someone, there is no room for cheating. If you want to do different things with different people, then don't enter a relationship. Plain and simple."

Guilt surrounded me. My emotions were haywire and completely clouding my judgment. I had no right to assume something about someone who was helping me out without out me even asking first. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he replied, stopping the car. I looked out the window and realized that we were parked in front of my house. It never even occurred to me to give him direction, because in a town of little over five thousand everyone knew where everyone else lived.

"Thanks."

"Oh, and Elena?"

I stopped with my hand on the door and turned back to look at him.

"Just so you know, that guy was an idiot and you could do better."

I gave him a weak smile. "Thank you. I know your right but it still hurts because I thought he was one of the good guys, and after seven months of being together nothing is going to be easy. Bye Damon."

"Bye Elena."

I made my way out the car and toward the house. I glanced back long enough to see his car disappear down the street. Sighing, I made my way inside to prepare for a long night of crying.

The club was completely packed with bodies. People were making out in the darker corners, while bodies grinded heatedly in the center floor, and a few were lined up against the bars. Stefan's cousin had just opened the place, and as long as we promised not to make trouble it was free entrance and drinks. He'd been very adamant that we take the opportunity for fun, although my parents would go crazy if they knew I was here. One of the bartenders handed me a beer that I didn't order but I took it anyway. They were probably nervous about their first day and I didn't see any reason to make it harder on them, so I took my beer without complaint.

I made my way back to the table that I'd been sitting at with Stefan, not noticing a thing. Before I knew it, I smacked right into a hard chest causing me to lose my grip on my beer. The bottle crashed to the floor and a large hand reached out to steady me. I angrily looked up to tell the guy off but immediately stopped. My green eyes locked onto his crystal orbs that were practically sparkling under the light of the club, and I felt my anger dissipate immediately. They were beautiful up close, completely mesmerizing.

"Sorry." His velvet voice connected to my ears and my heart began pounding twice as fast. "Elena? I wasn't paying attention, do you want another drink?"

I should have said something but I physically impossible to think, let alone talk when he was standing this close to me. Damon's hand was still on my bare arm causing tingles to shoot through my body. My entire life I'd looked at him from a distance. With the gossip circulating from the other girls around school I knew he was hot, but that night he took me home I had been so emotional that I didn't bother to care what he looked like. Now, standing here, it was impossible to ignore. He was downright gorgeous. His midnight hair fell just over his eyes which were staring down at me intensely, a strong jaw framed his face and those lip looked so damn soft. He was wearing a simple black v neck shirt and dark fitted jeans. It was sinful that anyone could look that fucking good in such plain clothing. My eyes traveled over his chest, where he was likely to have the torso of a war god, and stopped at the hem of his pants. Most girls said that he always was the best night of their lives and the answer seemed to be right there.

"Elena," he growled out a warning with such a seductive huskiness that it caused my eyes to snap back up. His eyes had practically turned black and his grip on my arm tightened slightly.

Heat traveled across my cheeks and around my ears from the fact that he had caught me basically undressing him with my eyes. "Sorry," I managed to get out. "I was just…" How could I even finish that sentence? It was getting really hot in here and I needed some breathing room. I stepped out of his grip while I watched his eyes roam over me an take in the low-cut red top, high-waisted black shorts, and red kitten heels. My body was on fire, and I was sure that I had been sent to hell. What other reason could I give for feeling this flustered from a guy I barely knew, while someone waited for me to return to our booth.

As if my thoughts were his cue, Stefan popped out of nowhere and wrapped his arm protectively around my shoulders. "Where have you been?" he asked, sounding annoyed before looking over at Damon.

"Sorry," I replied, clearing my throat and miraculously finding my voice. "I was getting a drink when I ran into Damon and I was talking to him. We haven't seen each other in a while."

"I wasn't aware that you even knew each other," he commented dryly.

"Old family friends," Damon supplied quickly and I shot him a grateful look.

Stefan nodded and turned back towards me. "I told my cousin that I would help him with a few things, and I'll be here pretty late. Do you want me to call you a cab?"

"I can give you a ride," Damon offered and I couldn't help but let my mind go to the dirtiest places possible.

Stefan hesitated but reluctantly agreed anyway. "Um…alright. I'll call you tomorrow and please don't get into any trouble." He gave me a quick peck on the cheek before disappearing.

"What a charmer," Damon said sarcastically. "Better that the last boyfriend I hope."

"He's the same one."

He raised and eyebrow. "My advice wasn't good enough?"

"It was," I answered quickly, starting to feel more than a little awkward. "We aren't back together, it's sort of complicated."

"You ready to go then?"

I nodded and followed him out to his car. The ride what completely silent and I could feel Damon's eyes on me every few minutes. It had been a month since the last time I saw him. This scenario was so similar, yet instead of trying to keep from crying I was holding in the urge not to jump him. I breathed out a sigh of relief when my phone started ringing. I looked at the screen before answering. "Hey Caroline."

"Elena, where are you?" she shouted over the music that was playing in the background.

"I'm on my way home, what's up?"

"Tyler's having a party and it's amazing! Will you come?"

I glanced over at Damon and answered. "I don't know, I'm not home right now and I don't have my car."

"Elena please! Are you with Stefan? Ask him to bring you!"

"I'm not with Stefan."

"Oh! Hot date you didn't tell me about?" her words were slurred slightly and I knew she was well on her way to drunk. Which meant that I needed to be a good friend and check up on her at the party just to make sure she was okay.

"No, Care," I replied with a nervous chuckle. "I'll see what I can do, keep your phone close, alright!"

"Okay, thanks! See you soon Elena."

"Bye." We hung up and I looked at Damon, who seemed more that tensed and immersed in thoughts. I wondered what he would say if I asked him to drop me off at a party rather than home, or if he would be angry. It wasn't as if we were friends and if I had ever met anyone who intimidated me, it was him.

"Problem?" he questioned before I could even get up the nerve to open my mouth.

I shifted in my seat. "It's not really a problem. My friend just wanted me to meet her at this party, but I told her that I didn't have my car or anything."

"Tyler's party?"

"Yeah."

"Well, do you want to go?"

I shrugged. "You don't have to take me. It's nice enough that your giving me a ride and I know we're not exactly friends so I don't expect me to drive everywhere."

A small grin grazed his lips. "I was actually going to go check it out after I dropped you off, so I don't mind." The space went silent again, and I fidgeted in my seat.

"Do you think that I'm an idiot?" I asked quietly, after a few minutes of silence.

"Because of the guy?" I nodded and he shrugged. "Like I said last month, you can do better. You seemed pretty upset that night and I just would have thought that you would have got rid of him."

I sighed. "I tried, but he kept begging, telling me it was a drunken mistake and I couldn't keep saying no but I couldn't just take him back either. It still hurts, but I felt like I was giving up on something that I invested so much of myself in. I told him that we needed to be friends first to build up trust again, but its always going to be different. My best friend thinks I'm an idiot, that I need to put myself out there but it's scary once you get so used to someone. Sorry, I sound whiny, right?"

He shook his head. "I'm not really the caring type, but let me tell you something. Its understandable why your scared to get back out there, but your gorgeous and you shouldn't really worry about what people think of you anyway. I'm sure any guy would be happy to get with you."

"Would you?"

"What?" he asked surprised.

"If you saw me out," I replied quickly, half embarrassed, half curious. "Would you try to pick me up?"

The silence stretched on again and I was starting to wonder if he was even going to answer. Finally, he did and his voice dropped to a husky drawl that shot heat straight to my core. "I would have done more than try."

"So what do you suggest I do?" I asked, hoping to move on with the topic and wishing that my voice didn't sound so breathy.

He pulled his car into the parking space at the edge of the forest where the party was being held. "Tonight? Stick with me, and I'll show you how to have a good time and not worry about that guy of yours," he responded with a smirk so seductive that is sent a blaze of fire right to my stomach.

* * *

**_So, I deleted my other story because I didnt really know where i wanted to take it. I came up with this idea and incorporated some of the old story into it and i already have several chapters written for it. Thanks for reading and please feel free to review!_**


	2. Drunken Fumblings

_**Thanks to everyone who commented on the first chapter! Here's the second one and a warning of some smut.**_

* * *

_**Chapter Two**_

Damon's hand pressed lightly into the small of my back, guiding me into the woods where people were lingering about the trees. Music blared from an amp connected to a truck and there were kegs and buckets off beer loitered about the property. It was comforting to be at a party where I knew more than one person and I wondered how many of them were on there way to being completely trashed. Speaking of which I needed to find Caroline.

"I'm going to go get a beer, do you want one?" Damon asked from beside me.

I nodded. "Thanks."

"Elena!"

I turned my head to the left to see Bonnie, walking over to me from the large bonfire. She screamed excitedly and we embraced in a tight hug. Where Caroline and I had been raised together since birth, Bonnie had become our friend in kindergarten after moving here with her dad. Over the years we had bypassed best friends and become soul sisters. While Caroline and I had always had similar personalities, always knowing what the other was thinking and what each other wanted, Bonnie was the only other girl to fit in with us perfectly. We always made sure to spend at least one night a week dedicated to "girl-time". Bonnie had left for the summer to stay with her grandma in South Carolina and although we constantly kept in touch, it was great to have her back considering we never spent more that a few weeks apart. I flashed her a dazzling smile, "Bon! What are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't be in for two more days!"

She smiled brightly. "I know, but I got an earlier flight and wanted to surprise you guys. I saw Care earlier and she said you were out on some hot date with someone that wasn't Stefan."

"And you didn't believe her, did you?" I teased. "She is completely trashed."

"Which is exactly why I didn't believe her," she replied laughing. "But I didn't expect you to be here. Is Stefan here too?"

I shook my head, not bothering to tell her who I was actually here with. "His cousin just opened this new club outside of town and he's helping him out."

Before Bonnie had a chance to comment any further, Damon slid up beside me and handed me a beer. "Thank you," I told him, trying to ignore Bonnie's facial expression. Her jaw was practically scraping against the dirt floor.

He glanced at her, nodding in acknowledgement before turning his attention back towards me. "I have to talk to someone, but it shouldn't take too long. I'll find you in fifteen or twenty minutes, alright?"

I nodded. "Sure." Bonnie and I both stayed silent as we watched him strut into the crowd, high-fiving people as he went.

"Are you and Stefan fighting again?" she asked, once he was completely out of sight. I shook my head, knowing that I was going to get lectured. Bonnie had always been more level headed than the rest of us. "Then you must be a masochist because you are asking to get hurt. Seriously, Elena! What are you thinking? You were so heartbroken after Stefan cheated on you and he's trying to make up to you while you keep him at a distance. Then you show up to this party with Damon Salvatore, of all people. A guy with a reputation for crushing hearts for sport. Either your lashing out at Stefan or you are just going insane!"

I looked down guilty, because even slightly tipsy, Bonnie was one of the most insightful people I knew. Even though she wasn't right about me lashing out at Stefan, she was right about Damon's reputation. I wasn't here as his date or anything but I had still been considering what it would be like to be the girl on the other side of the gossip. The one to brag about my experience to girls that could only wish to get a shot at his bed. Still it was wrong to think like that, right? Although I was dating Spencer it wasn't as if we were no longer nothing. We were trying to work in order to become something again, weren't we? "It's not like that." I told her finally.

"What exactly is it like, then? Please, do share."

"I ran into him tonight and we were going to the same place so he offered to give me a ride."

"In exchange for what?" I gave her an eye roll and she scoffed. "I'm sorry but I can't see Damon just giving you a lift from the kindness of his heart. You guys don't even know each other."

"Yes, we do," I mumbled out, knowing that I was just digging myself into a deeper hole. Not only was she going to be surprised but she was also going to be pissed that I never disclosed this information.

"Excuse me?"

I took a gulp of my beer and looked around nervously at anything but her. "We might have met before."

Her eyes practically bulged out of her head. "You what! Why didn't you tell me!"

"I didn't think it was important," I answered with a shrug of my shoulders, trying to feign casualty.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me! Are you serious right now?" She didn't wait for my answer. "I've listened you complain about guys like Damon Salvatore since we were ten. The guys that use girls for what they want before tossing them aside. It the past four years you scrunch your face in disgust whenever anyone even mentioned his name. Hell, you didn't even want to work for his dad when you found out that you might run into him. He breaks hearts for a living, Elena. And now he's chasing after you to add your name to a very long list and your acting as if it's absolutely nothing! He seduces, fucks, then leaves. Why would you want a guy like that? It isn't you."

"I don't even know who I am anymore," I shot back. "I thought that maybe things between Stefan and I could be repaired but I've been thinking lately that maybe they will always be broken. Our trust is gone and I'm starting to realize that no matter how hard he tries to fix it, I'm always going to wonder if he'll do it again. I can't do it anymore, Bon. I'm not going to let myself get hurt again."

"And you think that Damon is the answer? That you won't be hurt by a heartbreaker if you know what your putting yourself into? Look, I understand if you don't want to get back together with Spencer but it doesn't mean that you need to jump into bed with Damon either."

"He's not all that bad," I defended, but quickly added, "but I wasn't thinking about sleeping with him."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know what's worst than a guy jumping from bed to bed, walking around with that damn cocky smirk while hundreds of girls hearts trail after him."

"I think hundreds might be an exaggeration."

"That's the thing Elena, I honestly don't think it is. Think of all the girls in this town alone that have talked about sleeping with him and we know that he travels all the time. What about the number of girls in those different cities?"

We entered into a silence, giving me the time to finish off my beer before it turned completely warm. She did seem to have a point, but Damon did mention that the rumors were exactly that. Two months ago I wouldn't have questioned Bonnie in the slightest, but now I felt the need to give him the benefit of the doubt. It was true that he was far too cocky and arrogant for his own good, that much was clear, but everything else? I had no real facts from this guy about who he was, just pieces of gossip I'd received for obsessive teenage groupies over the years. How could I even consider that solid evidence into this guy's life. Weren't we taught from a young age to get both sides of the story before setting judgments?

"I just don't want you to end up hurt again. You're my best friend and I feel that its my job to show you that he's bad news," Bonnie finally spoke up, placing a light hand on my shoulder and giving me concerned eyes.

"Everyone keeps saying that," I replied in exasperation. "But has anyone actually asked his side of the story? I'm not saying that he doesn't go around having sex with random girls, but I refused to believe that he's totally evil." She opened her mouth to say something but I held up a hand, silencing her. "No, I'm not going to believe it. The night that I met him was the night that Stefan cheated on me. I was crying my eyes out and the rain was about to start, and he gave me a ride without trying anything. He knew that I live far from where we were and he did it to be nice. The same with tonight. I asked him to bring me here because Caroline asked me to come and he did it with nothing less of a smile. He has not tried anything once and that much shows the sincerity he has. So until I see different, I'm not going to make him out as some monster. I can't, not when he's so…sweet."

"Your right," she said with a sigh. "I don't know him personally and it is wrong of me to judge, but there is a huge difference between sweetness and sweet talking. I'm sure by now you know how charming he is, and don't tell me you haven't because one glance of those blue eyes have girls turning into putty. I am telling you this as your best friend, not to be a bitch. I honestly just don't want you to end up hurt, but I can't stop you from doing anything that you don't want to. God knows you're the most stubborn person I've ever met," she teased. "I'm just asking you to be careful. Besides," she continued, laughing, "I don't think your stupid enough to sleep with him anyway."

* * *

I sigh escaped my lips as my back hit the leather backseat of his Camaro. He moved over me, pressing me further into the seats as his lips connected back with mine. Maybe it had been the seven beers and a bottle of vodka that got me to this point, but I was here. Damon was nowhere near as drunk as I was but I knew that he was at least tipsy. Regardless, his fingers roamed across my body with nimble accuracy. I hadn't thought that a bit of dancing would lead here, although I wasn't entirely surprised.

His lips trailed down the column of my neck while his fingers pushed under my shirt. A sigh escaped my lips as he palmed a bra-clad breast. He looked up with those icy eyes, a cocky grin spread across his face, and it sent a shot of heat right between my legs. _God, he was sexy. _The fact that he knew what he was doing made this all the more pleasurable, something that I wasn't used to. My first time had clumsy, awkward even, and there had been a lot of fumbling, but this was completely different. Every kiss, every touch was made with total conviction.

I pulled him back up to my mouth for another searing kiss and he pressed himself tighter against me, causing his bulge to rub against my covered core. An involuntary moan caused me to open my mouth, granting him access to push his tongue into my mouth. He explored the cavern of my mouth, feeling every inch of it before wrapping his tongue around my own. It was enough of a distraction that I hadn't realized that he had undone the buttons on my shorts until they were being pulled halfway down my legs. I wondered if maybe I should protest and tell him that this was going to fast, but then I heard the deep groan he let out as he realized I wasn't wearing any underwear.

He slid a finger over my soaking seam and he let out another guttural noise. "Your so wet," he whispered huskily. I squeezed my eyes shut tight and wriggled against his fingers, wishing that he would stop wasting time. He seemed to understand and slid a finger in then back out. Soon he added one more finger, than another and the tension began to push me up a mountain. "Open your eyes." But I couldn't, I couldn't do anything be _feel. _"Open your eyes," he demanded louder this time, stalling his movements. My eyes snapped up to his and his fingers began moving again. His eyes connected to mine intimately and the pressure was becoming too much. It was brown on blue. There was nothing else I could see, nothing else I could feel except for Damon. His fingers curled up inside me and I fell apart, my mind blown to smithereens.

He continued to move his fingers in and out of me until I had come down from my high. His lips connected to mine once again, this time more soft and gentle. He swirled his tongue around mine idly but the heat was building up again. My hands ghosted over his chest and ended on the button of his jeans.

_Pound. Pound. Pound._

The sound of tapping against the car window startled me, causing me to push Damon off of me and pull up my shorts. He growled out in protest, but I ignored him while moving into sitting position to fix my clothes. The tapping began again. "Lena? Elena! What are you doing in there?" I recognized Caroline's loud voice, although many of the words were slurred. Letting out an aggravated sigh, I flashed Damon an apologetic look. "Oh! Are you with a boy?" Her voice rang out again, followed by a loud giggle. "Is he cute?"

I climbed back into the front seat after Damon and stepped out of the car. Kat was slouched against the car, probably to try and keep her balance on her heels. She smiled brightly at me. "You came! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Your drunk, Care." I was getting cranky now that we had been interrupted, and I was going to end up high and dry at the end of the night.

"I know and I was going to go home but my mom texted me and said that she got let off early tonight." She giggles, waving her hand in front of her face. "I can't go home like this. Can I go with you?"

"Care, I don't think that's such a good idea-"

She pouted. "Please, Lena!"

I rolled my eyes and relented. "Alright, fine."

"Thank you, thank you thank you!"

I popped my head back into the car to see Damon with his eyes closed, his head pressed back against his seat. He seemed as frustrated as I was, and I couldn't blame him. "Are you sober enough to drive?" I asked him. "If not I can just call a cab, but I need to get Caroline to my house before she passes out."

He sighed then opened his eyes to look straight out the windshield. "I'll take you guys, come on get in."

The minute Caroline hit the back seat, she was out cold, but not before shouting her approval in guy choice. I exhaled noisily and ran a hand through my hair until all tangles were gone. Damon didn't say a word and the whole situation had me quickly sobering up, so the ride was that more awkward. When we reached my house it became apparent that waking up Caroline would be impossible. He trailed behind me, carrying an unconscious Katherine. I prayed that my parents were asleep and let out a breath of relief after I unlocked the front door and realized that the lights were off and the house was silent.

Caroline began to stir so Damon set her on her feet, keeping a hold of her incase she passed out again. She looked up at him and a loud giggle escaped her mouth. "Your cute," she said, gazing up at him before bursting out in more loud laughter.

"Caroline, you need to be quiet or your going to wake up my parents!" I whispered sternly.

"Your no fun," she teased, sticking out her tongue and noisily making her way up the stairs.

"Care! Caroline!" I raced up the stairs as quietly as I could with Damon following behind me. My heart pounded against my chest as I watched her run into my run and fall onto my bed. She was asleep again and I listened for the sound of waking parents, relieved when I didn't hear any.

"Well, that was eventful," he commented with a small grin as we entered the small foyer.

I opened the door and watched him walk over the threshold while I stayed inside my house. "Thank you," I said seriously. "For helping me, for everything."

He shrugged it off. "Don't worry about it. Your friend is safely upstairs, everything is good."

"Yeah, I can't believe my parents didn't wake up but thanks again."

He gave me a smile so genuine that I was slightly taken aback. The only things that I had seen from him so far were cocky smirks and coy smiles. I decided he should smile like this more often. He shot a look at my lips and my stomach swarmed with butterflies thinking that he might kiss me, but he just turned and began across the porch and down the steps. "Goodnight, Elena," he drawled out in his husky tone.

"Goodnight Damon," I whispered before closing the door and slouching against it, feeling the heat spreading across my cheeks.

"If your finished, we'd like a word."

My face fell as I realized I wasn't as in the clear as I thought. I took a step forward and mentally prepared myself to face the wrath that was sure to come from my parents.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading and reviews are more than welcome. MERRY CHRISTMAS!**_


	3. Adventures In Babysitting

_**Sorry for the long wait, my mother broke my computer and it took a while to get a new one. So i've lost all of my chapters and i'm going to have to rewite them, which i have no clue how long it will take. Please be patient and i'll try to get them out as quickly as i can. I do also apologize for the mistakes in the last chapter, i'm usually good about finding the mistakes that I made. Anyway here's chapter three.**_

* * *

_**Chapter Three**_

To say that my parents were pissed off was a bit of an understatement. I guess trying to sneak a drunken Caroline through my silent house without my parents finding out was one of my more terrible ideas. A quick word turned into a two hour lecture on drugs, alcohol, and trust. Eventually, I was given the punishment of being grounded to the house with no cell phone privileges for the remainder of the summer. After about the second week, however, my parents started to feel guilty about seeing my sulk around the house and decided that I could hang out with friends as long as the get together occurred in the house.

Stefan and I were officially over although he had practically begged me not to do it. Bonnie hadn't brought up Damon again, although I could tell she was dying to, and Caroline thankfully didn't remember the night before. More importantly, the position that she found me in. I was beginning to get annoyed, thinking that everything Bonnie said about Damon might have been true. I had seen Ryder once in the past three weeks. He'd seemed so busy at the time that I didn't see the point in interrupting him.

* * *

_My mom had asked me to drop off lunch for my dad who was a professor at the college. The closest college to our small town of Mystic Falls was a twenty minute drive, and I jumped at the opportunity to get out of the house for a little while. Especially since Mom handed me her card and told me to go school clothes shopping while I was in town. My parents had never been the reprimanding type and I knew that I only ended up grounded because I had chosen to lie to them. Even when I was being punished, they were fair. I suspected that it had something to do with my hardly ever getting in trouble and taking my punishment without any complaints. _

_I was walking across the green, elaborate courtyard at the center of campus, excitement flowing through me after I learned that Caroline would later be joining me to shop. The University of Richmond was old and the entire campus embodied the Victorian era. The campus was absolutely stunning in the fall. Leaves fell delicately from the trees set around university grounds in seas of ambers, browns, and reds. Fall had always had a way of making me smile and today was no different as it seemed to have come early this year. _

_My smile fell away instantly, as I noticed a familiar mess of jet black hair in one of the green areas near the end of the courtyard. Nervousness took over my body, thinking about the last time I'd seen him. More importantly, what we had been doing when I'd seen him._

_He was seated casually on a park bench in jeans and his leather jacket, looking down at his phone with his laptop beside him. Seeing him again started the warming sensation to make its way down to my stomach. Finally, getting up the nerve to talk to him, I began forward but stopped short within the next few seconds. A girl with long brown hair in the shortest shorts I've ever seen (seriously she might as well have been wearing bikini bottoms) bounded over to him, practically placing herself in his lap. He slipped his phone into his pocket and flashed her an arrogant smirk. Before I could make any assumptions about the two his lips fused into her in a hot kiss._

_I took a step back, thoroughly disgusted by the sight in front of me. Not only were they making out so publicly -and I'd never been a fan of PDA- but it was pretty much a punch in the gut. I guess I shouldn't have been so shocked that he was with another girl, because we were nowhere close to ever having been in a relationship. I suppose it just hurt to know that I had still been thinking of him when he'd clearly already forgotten about me. He was Damon Salvatore and I'd been given a fair warning. Lacey was right, as always. I wasn't the kind of girl to just make out with a guy and not be talked to for weeks. It was the worst kind of rejection. I wasn't delirious enough to believe that everything was just going to fall into place and end with a happily ever after, but casual relationships seemed like such a waste of time. I have always been, and will always be a long term relationship girl. As far as I was concerned, Damon had just been a one time bump in the road._

* * *

I shook the memory out of my head and focused back on my image in the mirror. Combing through my chestnut hair, I left it wavy to flow almost down to my waist. I was fully aware of the fact that I was attractive with a good personality and one day I would find my prince charming. Damon wasn't worth my time and I was no longer going to dwell on it. If he wanted to pretend as if nothing happened then that was perfectly fine, it wouldn't phase me.

Not today. It was the first day back and this time would be the last year. Senior year was finally here and my enthusiasm was obvious. After school was the first official cheer practice and back to babysitting. It was my first day of my un-grounding and my schedule was already becoming hectic. A car horn sounded from outside my window and I quickly grabbed my bag a headed downstairs. Before I could walk out the front door, I was stopped by my dad. "Elena?"

"Yeah?"

He smiled, handing my phone to me. "Have a great day at school, honey."

I smiled in return, grateful to have the device back in my hands. "Thanks daddy!" Giving him a swift hug and a kiss on the cheek, I exited the house and made my way to Caroline's waiting Charger. Times were looking up for me.

* * *

Cheer practice ran half an hour later than it was supposed to, only giving me enough time to go home and pick up my mom's car before rushing to the Salvatore's. Giuseppe was a very stern, punctual man and the truth was most of the time he scared the crap out of me, although he had always been more than pleasant to me. Still, I didn't want to be late on my first back to babysitting.

I pulled up to the Salvatore estate with three minutes to spare. The lavish house sat right on the edge of two, a large white mansion with an endless acres of forest behind it. It was more than enough room for a family of three but everyone in town knew that Giuseppe prided himself on being ridiculously rich and I lover of the material things. I never failed to be amazed by the expensive items that he kept inside his house. Grabbing my extra clothes from the passenger, I made my way to the large oak front doors while tugging my cheer skirt a bit lower with hopes that I didn't look completely unacceptable. I knocked on the door and it immediately swung open for me.

Sofia practically knocked me over in her haste to wrap her arms tightly around my waist. "Lena!" she screamed with a huge smile on her face.

"Hey, Kiddo," I greeted, ruffling her dark locks which I know realized was the same shade of midnight black as her older brother. Her eyes, though, were the same emerald green as her father and I briefly wondered what their mother looked like. There weren't any pictures of her hanging around the house for me to compare them to. I assumed she was gorgeous enough to catch Giuseppe's work-focused eye. After all, looks like theirs couldn't come from just one side of the gene pool.

"I missed you," she gushed, walking into the house with me.

"I missed you too."

She flashed me a toothy grin at this news. "I asked Dad where you were because honestly I thought I'd never see you again, but he just kept telling me that you'd be back. So I asked Damon and he told me that you were a bad girl and you got in trouble."

"He did?" I asked as my ears perked up slightly at this information. Damon hadn't bothered to speak to me since that night so I wondered how he knew this information. Even Giuseppe was told the short version -that I wasn't going to be able to work for a few weeks for personal family business. "Is that all he said?"

I began to here footsteps approach as Sofia smiled widely at me and began to speak. "The also said something about you having really soft-"

Before I could get insight on what exactly he thought was so soft, Damon flew into the foyer to stop her from getting out another word by covering Sofia's mouth. Muffled giggles erupted from behind his hand and filled the room while she shot her a mock glare. "Okay Squirt, that's enough. Emma doesn't care about our boring conversations." He turned to me with a nervous chuckle but the sound stopped as he took in my wardrobe. His stormy eyes darkened instantly, taking me back to the night in his car and causing my stomach to tighten in knots. For the first time in the two years that I've been wearing my cheer outfit, I felt as if the hemline made for flexibility didn't cover nearly enough skin. With the way his eyes trailed over me, I might as well have been standing here in my underwear. I coughed awkwardly and shifted in place. It was enough to snap his eyes back to mine, but not without a smirk spreading across his features. He let go of his giggling sister to take a step forward. "Cheerleader," he said sweetly. "Cute. I should have guessed."

"What's that suppose to mean?" I questioned defensively.

"Just that you were _very_ flexible," he remarked smugly, sending a wink my way.

My anger flared instantly and I shot him a nasty glare. His sister stood not even two feet away and he hadn't spoken to me in a month, and this was the first thing he said to me? He was fucking incorrigible! We weren't in a good enough place to be saying things like that. He needed to be careful or his arrogance was going to land him a swift knee to the groin. Trying to reel in my anger, I turned to Sofia who was looking back and fourth between us. "I'm going to change, alright? Then we can do something fun."

"Like what?"

"Anything you want."

"Even bake cookies?" she wondered out in excitement, practically jumping up and down.

"Sure."

She smiled before grabbing Damon's hand and leading him toward the kitchen. "Hear that, Bubba?" I heard her tell him. "Lena is going to let us make cookies!"

I gave a slight chuckle and made my way out of the foyer then down the hallway to the bathroom. Quickly, I changed into my jeans and fitted top before pulling my hair out of the ponytail I used to keep my hair out of my face during practice earlier today. My eyes set on my reflection in the mirror. The only way that I could describe my appearance was flustered. I had been babysitting Sofia for two years and had never once run into Damon. Now, I couldn't seem to avoid him enough. Why was he even here? Wasn't the whole point of having a babysitter because there was no one home to watch the child? Clearly, Damon got along with his younger sister, so wasn't it pointless for me to even be here? I ran my fingers through my hair a few times and checked to see if my makeup was still perfect. My hands stilled. Was I seriously trying to make myself look presentable for an asshole that never really took interest in me in the first place. A noisy breath escaped my lips and I exited the confides of the bathroom.

I found a laughing Sofia sitting on a kitchen counter while Damon was pulling out ingredients needed for the cookies. Taking a seat at the breakfast bar, I turned to her. "So, what else do you want to do tonight?"

"Well, Damon has this thing…"

"Sofia," Damon warned softly.

"Come on," she begged him. "I haven't been there in forever!"

"Not tonight."

"Please?"

"Next time," he told her with a sense of finality that implied the conversation was over. He turned to me. "Here's all the ingredients. My dad had to leave town for business so he won't be home tonight, but I'll be back no later than ten."

"Damon," Sofia whined and when we turned to her, tears were welling up in her eyes.

"Come on, Squirt," he replied gently. "Don't be like that. I'll only be gone for a few hours."

"But I want to come, I never get to."

"You know Dad doesn't like you to come."

"Please, Damon?"

"What about the cookies, though?" he asked, trying to grasp any excuse to keep her from going.

"Damon!"

I mentally laughed when I saw his will crumble to pieces at the sight of her big puppy dog eyes. It seemed that there was one girl who kept Damon as putty in her hands. He was wrapped around her small finger and I couldn't help but think how cute that was. "Fine," he relented. Glancing my way, he reached up to nervously scratch the back of his neck as if internally debating something. "But I'm not the one in charge of you right now. You know I'm going to be too preoccupied to watch you, so if Elena wants to go then you can come."

Her sparkling green eyes immediately zoned in on me and I realized that Damon wasn't the only one to easily give into this adorable little girl. "Please Lena," she pleaded. "Please, please, please!"

"Okay!" I finally told her, chuckling. Honestly, how could I disappoint her with something I was perfectly capable doing? She was so excited and I couldn't just say no. "Go put on your shoes and jacket."

I took a deep breath as she ran out of the room, realizing that I just agreed to tag along with Damon for the whole night. The last time it happened never got me anywhere but incredibly horny. I didn't even know where we were going let alone if I could handle being in the same room with him for the rest of the night. Regardless, I knew that there was going to be a big surprised involved. There always were where Damon Salvatore was involved.

* * *

**_Reviews are very helpful! Thanks for reading._**


End file.
